A VEHICLE left in a public car park is four times more likely to be broken into or stolen than one left all day at home in the street, the annual Association of Chief Police Officers summer conference has heard. Police are now aiming for 2,000 secured car parks with anti-theft measures, including closed-circuit television, by the year 2000 to combat the problem.

ACPO figures show that 480 cars per 100,000 parked all day are stolen each year from public car parks, compared with 310 for other streets, 110 for streets near to work and 80 for workplace car parks. The situation could be made worse if more motorists are pushed into public car parks by moves to charge companies for providing spaces for vehicles at work.